Brake-actuating mechanism.



J. ECKERT & J. KIRBY, JR.

BRAKE ACTUATING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION HLED JAN]. 1918- Patented Ma m, 1918.

UNlTED %TAiE% PATENT @FFECE.

JOSEPH EGKERT AND JOHN KIRBY, 53., 0F DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNORS TO THE DAYTON MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF DAYTON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

BRAKE-ACTUATIN G MECHANISM.

Application filed January 2, 1918.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, Josnrn Eonnn'r and JOHN KIRBY, Jr., citizens of the United States, and residents oi Dayton, in the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Brake-Actuating Mechanism, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of our specification.

Our invention relates to brake actuating mechanism, and more particularly to that class wherein the normal or inoperative position of the handle or operating lever is parallel with the brake-stafi' and its operative position at right angles thereto, and wherein the operating lever when turned in one direction will rotate the bralre-stafi, and when turned in the opposite direction will move independently of the brake-stall.

The object of our present invention is to still furtherimprove upon the ratchet separating mechanism shown and described in patent to Joseph Eckert No. 134:1.359, dated eptember 24:, 1917, and in our application No. 205,082, filed Dec. 3, 1917, a further object being to combine certain other features of advantage in the type or brake operating mechanism wherein a ratchet member having teeth formed upon its upper face surface is fixed to the brake-stafi and a second ratchet member having corresponding teeth in its lower face surface is slidably mounted on the brakdstalf, the said upper and lower teeth eo-acting to rotate the staff to set the brakes, while the upper teeth automatically move out of the path of the lower teeth when the operating lever is turned in a reverse direction.

With these objectsin view the invention consists in the various novel details of construction and combination'of parts hereinafter fully described in the specification, illustrated in the drawings and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of the specification, and in which like reference numerals indicate corresponding parts, Figure 1 is a side view of the assembled mechanism partly in full elevation and partly in. section through the line A A of Fig. 2, the operating lever being shown by solid lines in its normal, inoperative position, and by dotted lines in its elevated or operative position, Fig. is a top plan view partly in section through the lines B B of Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 14, 1918.

Serial No. 209,923.

Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a perspective broken view of the casing, sectioned through the line D D of Fig. Fig. i is a perspective view of the upper ratchet member showing, in section, a modification of the locking mechamsm, Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the lower ratchet member, Fig. 6 is a horizontal section of a portion of the operating lever and the casing (when the lever is in operative position) taken on the line B B of Fig. l, and Fig. 7 is a broken perspective err larged view of the ratchet locking device detached.

Referring to the said drawings 1 represents the brake-staid. A sleeve or casing is mounted on and rotatable in either direction of the brake-stal'l, being held thereon by a nut 3. Within this sleeve, mounted on and rigidly fixed to the brake-stall, is a ratchet member t having a series of ratchet teeth formed in its upper face surface, and immediately above this member there .is slidably mounted on the brake-stall a second ratchet member 5 having corresponding teeth formed in its lower face surface whereby when the two sets of teeth are in engagement the brake-staff, through the in strumentality of an operating lever, presently to be described, can be rotated to set the brakes. This movable ratchet is circular in form at its lower end and thereabove it is angular in shape as shown at 6 in Fig. l, and the casing, which is also of circular form, is provided with a corresponding angular portion 7 within which the ratchet member 5 is free to slide on the stall l to engage and disengage the teeth of the lower ratchet member 3, these angular portions serving to rotate the ratchet 5 in unison with the sleeve in either direction so that when the operating lever is turned in the direction to set the brakes the sleeve and the two ratchets will move as a unit and when turned in the opposite direction only the sleeve and upper ratchet i will rotate, as the teeth of the upper ratchet member will ride idly over those of the lower member, the brakestafl' being held against retrograde movement by the well known ratchet and pawl device (not shown) attached to the car platform. At one side of the sleeve and projecting laterally therefrom there are two lugs or ears 8, 9 to which an operating lever 19 is pivoted by means of a pivot bolt 11. having at one end a head 12 and at the opposite end a cottor pin 13 to retain the bolt in ell place. Thus, when the lever is at'rest, in inoperative position, it hangs suspended on its pivot as shown by s lid lines in Fig. 1, its operative position being at right angles to the brake-staff as shown by dotted lines in said Fig. 1.

An opening M is formed in the sleeve 2 opposite the space formed between the ears 8, 9, the purpose of which will presently appear. The pivotal end of the operating lever provided with a curved arm 15 projecting from its lQWGl' edge in a direction substantially in line with the lever within the confines of the ears 8, 9, and adapted when the lever is in its normal or inoperative position, to extend through the opening l l into the casing 2 and en age a shoulder 16 formed on the movable ratchet 5, thereby lifting and iolding the same out of cngageinentwith the ratchet 4t and allowin the brakestafl' to unwind independently of the propelling mechanism. As a matter of convenience and economy in manufacture as Well as durability, we prefer to cast or forge the lever 10 and arm 15 in a single piece although they may be made in separate pieces and joined together in any suitable manner. in either case it Will be apparent that in the above described means for separating the ratchet-s the number of parts heretofore required therefor and the cost of labor has been reduced to a minimum and the essence of simplicity attained through the absence of coacting cams and shoulders requiring more or less fitting and being subi set to wear, thereby affecting the durability of the structure as Well as increasing its cost.

It sometimes happens that after the brakes have been set and the retaining mechanism on the floor of the platform released the brake chain refuses to unwind as freely as it should, and in some such cases it has been foundnecessary to use force to free the chain and fully release the brakes, and to the end that the operating lever may be utilized to rotate the brake-staff in an unwinding direction various devices have been introduced to lock the ratchets in operative engagementso that the lever can be so employed. Que feature of our present invention is to provide a simple and substantial means whereby the ratchets may be locked in positive engagement and the mechanism employed for the purpose aforesaid, or, in other Words, where by the brake-staff may be rotated in either direction. To that end, a projection l? is formed on the casing, preferably near the top thereof, and a recess 18 is formed in the said projection to receive a hub 19, having an arm 20, and a finger piece 21, the said hub being provided with a bore '22 to receive a pintle by which the device is movably mounted on the casing whereby the arm 20 can be swung in and out of engagement with the top Wall of the casing and the upper end neeeeeo of the ratchet member 5, thus providing a positive and durable means for locking the ratchets in engagement so that when the operating lever is turned in either direction the brake-staif will rotate with it. The said hub is further provided with a counterbore 2% to receive a spiral spring having one end bearing against the bottom of the counterbore and the other end bearing against the top Wall of the recess 18 in the projection 1'7, the purpose of this spring being to exert pressure on the hub 19 to prevent the arm 20 from unduly swinging into operative position.

In Fig. l of the drawings the device is shown located lower down on the casing and the arm 20 engaging a cutout 26 in the ratchet member 5. This modification, llOW- ever, is shown merely to illustrate another application of the improvement and not as the preferred embodiment thereof. Referring again to the operating lever 10, there is formed therein a transversely disposed chamber 23'', containing a spiral spring 28, having a rounded hea d-piece '29 pressed outwardly by said spring and movable Within the confines of the lugs 8, 9 adapted, when the lever in operative position, to engage a detent 30 formed in the lug 9 to restrain thelever from dropping to its normal position until pressure is exerted thereon by the hand of the operator.

Having thus fully described our invention We claim:-

1. Brake operating mechanism comprising in part a shaf a fixed ratchet thereon, an opposing ratchet member slidable on the shaft, a sleeve rotatively mounted on the shaft and restrained from vertical move ment, in combination with means pivotally mounted on the sleeve adapted to be moved in and out of engagement With the opposing ratchet member, .vhereby the rate-hots may be locked in operative engagement to rotate the shaft in an unwinding direction.

2-. Brake operatin mechanism comprising in part a shaft, a lined ratchet thereon, an opposing ratchet member slidable on the shaft, a sleeve rotatively mounted on the shaft and restrained from vertical tnovement, in combination with means pivotally mounted on the sleeve adapted to be moved in and out of engagement with the top Wall of the sleeve and the upper end of the slid able ratchet member; whereby the ratchets may be locked in operative engagement to I rotate the shaft in an unwinding direction.

In brake operating mechanism a shaft,

a fixed ratchet thereon, an opposing ratchet member slidable on the. shaft, a sleeve rotatively mounted on the shaft and restrained from vertical movement, in combination with means carried by and inseparable from the sleeve adapted to be moved in and out of engagement with the opposing ratchet member, and an operating lever whereby the shaft may be rotated in either direction.

at. In brake operating mechanism, a shaft, a fixed ratchet thereon, an opposing ratchet member slidable on the shaft, a sleeve rotativelv mounted on the shaft and restrained from vertical movement, in combination with means carried by and inseparable from the sleeve adapted to be moved over the op posing ratchet member to lock the same in engagement with the fixed ratchet, and an operating lever whereby the shaft may be rotated in either direction.

5. In brake operating mechanism, a shaft, a ratchet fixed thereon, an opposing ratchet slidable on the shaft and having a shoulder formed thereon, and a sleeve rotatively mounted on the shaft, in combination with an operating lever pivoted on the sleeve, and a projection on said lever in alinement therewith; said projection being adapted to enter the sleeve and engage said shoulder to lift and hold the opposing ratchet out of engagement with the fixed ratchet when the operating lever is in its normal position.

6. In brake operating mechanism, a shaft having a ratchet fixed thereon, an opposing ratchet slidable on the shaft and having a shoulder formed thereon, a sleeve rotativelv mounted on the shaft, an operating lever pivoted on the sleeve, and a projection 011 said lever in alinement therewith; said proj ection being adapted to enter the sleeve and engage said shoulder to lift and hold the opposing ratchet out of engagement with the fixed ratchet when the operating lever is in its normal position, in combination with means carried by and inseparable from the sleeve adapted to be moved in and out of engagement with the opposing ratchet; whereby the ratchets may be locked in operative engagement to rotate the shaft in a reverse direction.

7. In brake operating mechanism, the combination of a shaft, a sleeve mounted on the shaft adapted to be rotated independently thereof, a pair of lugs extending laterall from said sleeve for supporting an operating lever, a ratchet fixed to and rotatable with the shaft within the sleeve, an opposing ratchet member slidable on the shaft within the sleeve; the same being adapted to co-act with said fixed ratchet to rotate the shaft and being rotatable in unison with the sleeve, a shoulder formed on said opposing ratchet member, an operating lever pivotally connected with said sleeve adapted to rotate the shaft, and an arm carried by and extending from said lever between said lugs into said sleeve; said arm being adapted to engage said shoulder to lift and hold said op posing ratchet member out of engagement with said fixed ratchet when the operating lever is in its normal position.

8. In brake operating mechanism, the combination of a shaft, a sleeve mounted on the shaft adapted to be rotated independently thereof, a pair of lugs extending laterally from said sleeve for supporting an operating lever, a ratchet fixed to and rotatable with the shaft within the sleeve, an opposing ratchet member slidable on the shaft within the sleeve; the same being adapted to co-act with said fixed ratchet to rotate the shaft and being rotatable in unison with the sleeve, a shoulder formed on said opposing ratchet member an operating lever pivotally connected with said sleeve adapted to rotate the shaft, and an arm carried by and extending from the lower edge of said lever between said lugs into said sleeve; said arm being adapted to engage said shoulder to lift and hold said opposing ratchet member out of engagement with said fixed ratchet when the operating lever is in its normal position.

9. In brake operating mechanism, the combination of a shaft, a sleeve mounted on the shaft adapted to be rotated independently thereof, a pair of lugs extending laterally from said sleeve for supporting an operating lever, a ratchet fixed to and rotatable with the shaft within the sleeve, an op posing ratchet member slidable on the shaft within the sleeve; the same being adapted to co-act with said fixed ratchet to rotate the shaft and being rotatable in unison with the sleeve, a shoulder formed on said opposing ratchet member, an operating lever pivotally connected with said sleeve adapted to rotate the shaft, an arm carried by and extending from said lever between said lugs into said sleeve; said arm being adapted to engage said shoulder to lift and hold said opposing ratchet member out of engagement with said fixed ratchet when the operating lever is in its normal position, and means carried bjv and inseparable from the sleeve adapted to be moved in and out of engagement with the opposing ratchet member; whereby the ratchets may be locked in operative engagement and the shaft thereby rotated in either direction.

In testimony whereof we afiix our signatures hereto.

JOSEPH ECKERT. JOHN KIRBY, JR.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0. 

